Sophie tied back her curly hair and smiled at Jim. "Let’s bake a carrot cake together!" she said, bouncing with excitement. Jim pushed up his round glasses and nodded, "I’ll help! I love baking with you, Sophie."

Sophie gathered carrots and flour while Jim found the sugar and eggs. "Do you remember the first step?" asked Jim. Sophie giggled, "We grate the carrots!" They both started grating, making a happy mess on the counter.

Jim measured the flour, and Sophie cracked the eggs into a big bowl. "Mix, mix, mix!" Sophie sang as she stirred everything together. Jim sprinkled in cinnamon and nutmeg, saying, "These make the cake smell yummy!"

The friends poured the batter into a pan. "Should we add raisins?" Jim asked. Sophie thought for a moment. "Let’s add lots! They’re sweet and chewy." They laughed as they tossed in handfuls of raisins, feeling proud of their teamwork.

While the cake baked, Sophie and Jim cleaned up the kitchen. They chatted about their favorite cakes and planned what to bake next. "I hope our carrot cake is super tasty," Sophie said, peeking into the oven.

Ding! The cake was ready. Sophie and Jim took it out, and the kitchen smelled delicious. They cut a big slice and tasted it together. "We did it!" cheered Sophie. Jim smiled, "Baking with you is the best part."